There is a spray of blood on my sleeve, a cold drop of sweat creeping down my spine. Armed men filter past, hands toward the fire, eyes moving in the dim light. I lower my head, keep to the shadows. I am here to do one thing. I can see him across the courtyard, hands...
It was like a knife pushed in slowly, a fire penetrating my chest that made me howl and strike out in a blind rage. But there was no one to strike. The enemies were already inside me. I thrashed around the graveyard in a frenzy of agony and threw myself at anyone in...
The water jar fixes its one long eye upon me. Hour after hour, I feel it watching. Hour after hour, the craziness swells within me. Outside, the sun slinks past; its white rim catches in the corner of the window, sends a sharp finger of light creeping over the floor....
I try not to teeter as the commander steps toward me. “You are well, soldier?” he says, his face grim. “Yes, sir.” In fact, I am not well. The battle was fierce. One arm hangs limp. One eye does not work at all, and I smell blood running down my face. I fear I may...
Always, I had wanted a son. To carry my name, to carry my knowledge. Always, I dreamed of this. Until I met her. “It’s a girl,” the midwife said, and I saw my wife’s eyes flicker – a layer of fear on top of her pain and exhaustion. I am ashamed to tell you this. So...
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